Fishing Ipswich Bay with Great Marsh Outfitters

Great Marsh Outfitters is a fly and light tackle guide service specializing in Striped Bass in Ipswich Bay, Plum Island Sound, and the Great Marsh.

Whether you want to explore winding marsh channels tossing flies at eager schoolies, sight fish the flats, or run out into Ipswich Bay throwing big flies, live bunker, and topwater plugs for trophy bass, we tailor trips to the season and conditions.

We also specialize in night trips targeting trophy Stripers with live eels—one of the most exciting ways to connect with truly big fish.

Trips typically depart early, though start times are flexible. One of the best parts of fishing this area is getting on the water before the crowds, often finding active fish shortly after leaving the dock, and returning as everyone else is just pouring their first coffee.

The fishery changes dramatically through the season:

May–June: Herring runs bring aggressive slot fish into the rivers and sound.

July: Ipswich Bay comes alive with bunker schools, big migratory bass, occasional Bluefin activity offshore, and incredible surface feeds.

August: Sand eels stack up along beaches and bars, creating excellent light tackle opportunities.

September–October: The fall migration is on, with bass feeding hard as they push south.

This is a highly seasonal, highly dynamic fishery—and when conditions line up, it can be exceptional.

We run a custom 19 foot Aquasport center console which is a purpose built skinny water striper fishing machine. It is equipped with a Yamaha four stroke, trolling motor with spot lock, livewell, and Raymarine electronics with side scan sonar. Flush decks and folding cleats make it a fly anglers dream. We fish top of the line tackle by St Croix, Shimano, Sage, Orvis, and GLoomis. Rods, tackle and flies are covered in the cost of your trip.